Gas-fired water-heater or steam-generator



W. M. TAYLOR.

GAS FlRED WATER HEATER OR STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3. I918,

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I W. M. TAYLOR.

GAS FIRED WATER HEATER 0R STEAM GENERATOR.

AEPLICATION FILED SEPT-3.1'9IB.

' Patented Jan. 27,1920.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- flzvert-Zor Wa Zier' W WAlLflTER. M A R,TIN TAYLOR, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GAS-FIRED WATER-HEATER on STEAM-GENERATOR.

Application filed September 3, 1918.

To all to 7mm, it may concern Be it known that I, KVALTER MARTIN TAY- Lon, a subject oi the King of Great Britain, residing in London, England, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Fired Water-Heaters or Steam-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gas-fired waterheaters or steam generators of the kind wherein a twin spiral Water-coil unit is supported with two pipes constituting the unit lying in a horizontal plane immediately above and one on each side of the line ofthe gas exit slot ,orholes of agas burner consisting of tube spirally ,coiled'to occupy a horizontalplane, and wherein one or more singlepipe water-coil units are arrangedindividually in superposed I position in closely adjacent horizon'tal planes .above'the twin water-coil unit next to theburner, for instance as described in my prior United States Patent No. 916,936. 'It consists in improved construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter referred to, the principal objects being to reduce the cost of manufacture-to promote abetter flow of water immediatelyabove the gas burner, and a more equal distribution of gas in the burner, and so to produce. a more eflicient water heater of the type referred to.

In known water-heaters of the above kind, the gas burner tube employed has the form of a single spiral of several turns or convolutions lyingin one plane, gas'being led into "the several tubular convolutions by means of cross orradi'ally disposedtubular arms communicating with a gas supply. In

"such" heaters, the pipes constituting the two spirals of the twin water-coilunit, immediately above the gasburner, have been reversely coiled and each spiral has comprised several turns or convolutions, the several convolutions of one spiral or coil being disposed so as to be eachin contact or in j uxtapose'd :relati'on with "a convolution of the other coil, the contacting" or juxtaposed convol utions following the line ofy'holes yorf the slot provided in"- the 'crownfof the gasburner gtubefor the exitof the gas, a pijgiev convolution'fbeing on' each-side"ofthe'lline. '..T.h e

tTwini'coilsaof' ipeare cenneetedrtogetherfb sat-suitable coupling soithafi'wateicirculates through the r speaiveoi1 s.aadconsequently in ad] acenti or twin co'lls above eachjcgon- "volution "of" the -burne1' tube 1n-reverse di- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Serial No. 252,431;

rections. By adopting the improved constructionof the present invention the following advantages accrue (1) A reversal of the flow in the water coil unit immediately above the burner is obviated, the water circulating continuously in one direction throughout the unit;

(2) A greater proportion than heretofore of;heating surface to the volume of water passing through the said coil unit is provided; and p 3) The arrangement of a double or twincoil disposed above the gas outlets in the burner tubing is attained without resource to the use ,oftwo coils coupled together as above described.

"I will describe the improvements constituting my present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the improved water heater or steam generator, and in whichFi'gure l is a plan of the im'provedgas' burner; Fig. 2 is a planet the. bottom water coil unit; Fig. 3 is a vertiairintegral casting-as indicated in Fig. 4,

but. maybe ofbuilt-up form as shown for instance in Fig. 3, consists of a number of spiral tubes a, each consisting of a single convolutlonwlnch is divided into a number of port ons or sectlons by a number of radially disposed gas supply tubular arms 7) which extend from a central chamber 6 to which is. conne t dnth gas supply conduit ;0. Ihe,.seYcra1,sp1ral, tubes ,6; are each portions ofdifi'erent spirals theyconstitute to- ;gether what imay be termed abr'oken spiral I and; communicate each with the gas supply arms I). The inlets to tube a being' dis- .fiributed along-the arms 6 an equalized distribution .of gas to the several tubes is ob- 'iThese oneturn,spiral tubesaj are "provided with nipples, slots'orofjifices {Lb .along the tops thereofandthey are suitably spaced apart, as shown inFig. l'to permit "the passage of air between-them. Thewater coil unit immediately over the burner con-- sists of a single water pipe d which is spirally coiled and so arranged that it follows: the line of the gas exits b first on one side of the line of exits of one tube and then on the other side thereof, so that it makes twoconvolutions above the first spiral gas tube, thus forming a twin water-coil spiral, before it advances toward the next adjacent or" second spiral tube, where it proceeds in the same manner along both sides of its gas exits before it passes on to the third and the succeeding spiral gas tubes, following the gas exits of each as just described.

In this Way there is a portion of pipe d along each side of the lines of gas exits and the water is made to circulate continuously .in one direction from. one end of the pipe to the other without any reversal in the flow and without any diminution in the area of pipe surface exposed to the gas flames, while the necessity of employing coil couplings,

above referred to, is obviated.

A further improvement resides in the shape that is preferably given to the ipe a? constituting the water-coil unit imme iately over the gas burner, for the purpose of preventing any water of condensation, that may happen to collect on the outer surface of the pipe, from dropping on to the exits or orifices in the gas tubes and causing corrosion and clogging thereof. To this end I give the pipe a flattened circular or elongated elliptical section arranging the juxtaposed portions of the piping so that the major axes of the so called elliptical sections are mutually inclined and form an inverted V above the orifices, so that any water of condensation dropping from the water-coil will tend to fall clear of the orifices and of the burner tubes.

The flattened section form of the pipe has the additional advantage that in any length of pipe the proportion of the area of pipe surface exposed to the gas flame to the quantity of water contained in the length of pipes is greater than in the case of a pipe having a circular section. so that a greater absorption of heat results.

A water-coil unit formed of a pipe d hav ing a flattened section is shown in Fig. 3. Such a coil is preferably formed in the first instance of a pipe of circular section which after being spirally coiled is flattened in any suitable manner, as for instance by means ofa hydraulic press and dies. I j i hen the water coil pipe (Z is of flattened section, then at each point where it passes from one convolution of the gas burner to the next convolution thereof, the pipe may be given a suitable bend, as indicated atd, to

make it assume the proper position alongside the gas exits of the latter burner coil.

The water piping in each of the layers of coil superposed above the twin 0011s is arranged spirally and,preferably, in such a manner that the convolutionsin any layer are substantially contiguous one with another, and so that the Water circulates through the piping in a direction opposed to the flow of the heated air and gases passing between the layers of coils, so that the water may be thereby gradually heated and raised to a desired temperature before being discharged at the outlet. The piping is continued from one layer to the next, with or without suitable couplings. In Fig. 3 the coiled piping of two upper layers is shown at c and f respectively.

The lowermost water coil unit consisting of the bank of twin coils is preferably shrouded along one or both of its peripheries. Such shrouding may be constituted by portions of water piping extending in dependent fashion from one or more of the superposed upper layers of water-coil units,

as indicated for example at e, f in Fig. 3. These shrouding portions of piping serve as bafiies and tend to direct the course ofthe heated air and gases flowing through the apparatus. Alternatively, the shrouding may consist of a' cylindrical plate, such as is shown at g in Fig. 5, the plate being supported from an upper coil layer by means of an inwardly projecting flange or: lug piece 9.

The convolutions of the piping in the layers e and f superposed above the lowermost water-coil unit may, alternatively, be suitably spaced apart and be spanned by a cover plate or plates 72 as shown in Fig. 6. In this way the heated air and gases may be caused go flow over a greater extent of a pipos sur- :.ace.

A number of suitably shaped metallic spacers or cradles such as the members 71 in Fig. 3, may be placed between the several water coil units (Z, c, f to keep them in proper position, and the nest of coil units may be supported on lugs or brackets projecting from the interior wall of an appropriate casing in which the heater would be inclosed but which is not shown in the drawings.

zontal plane to form a broken spiral, each tube being one convolution in length. and provided along its crown Wltli a line of openings, a central chamber arranged co- .axiallywith the spiral tubes, a gas supply conduit communicating with the interior of the chamber, a plurality of radially disposed tubular arms connecting the central chain ber and the spiral tubes, and a water coil consisting of a plurality of coiled pipe-units superposed one above the other, the lowermost pipe-unit being located above the gas burner and consisting of a single pipe spirally coiled and arranged to make two circuits in succession above each of the said spiral tubes thereby causing the water to circulate twice over each spiral tube and continuously in one direction from one end of the pipe to the other.

2. A water heater comprising in combination a gas burner consisting of a series of spiral tubes of successively increasing periphery and co-axially arranged in a horizontal plane to form a broken spiral, each tube being one convolution in length and provided along its crown with a line of openings, a central chamber arranged coaxially with the spiral tubes, a gas supply conduit communicating with the interior of the chamber, a plurality of radially disposed tubular arms connecting the central cham ber, and a water coil consisting of a plurality of coiled pipe-units superposed one above the other, the lowermost pipe-unit being located above the gas burner and consisting of a single pipe spirally coiled and arranged to maketwo circuits in succession above each of the two said spiral tubes thereby causing the water to circulate twice over each spiral tube and continuously in one direction from one end of the pipe to the other, the said pipe having a flattened circular section, the major axes of the sections of the two juxtaposed portions of the pipe above any one of the spiral tubes being inclined upwardly toward one another, for the purpose described.

3. A water heater comprising in combination a gas burner consisting of a series of spiral tubes of successively increasing .periphery and co-axially arranged in a horizontal plane to form a broken spiral, each tube being one convolution in length and provided along its crown with a line of openings, a central chamber arranged coaxially with the spiral tubes, a gas supply conduit communicating with the interior of the chamber, a plurality of radially disposed tubular arms connecting the central chamber and the spiral tubes, a water coil consisting of a plurality of coiled pipe-units superposed one above the other, the lowermost pipe-unit being located above the gas burner and consisting of a single pipe spirally-coiled and arranged to make two circuits in succession above each of the said splral tubes thereby causing the water to circulate twice over each splral tube and continuously in one direction from one end of the pipe to the other, and means adapted to direct the course of heated gases flowing from'the burner through the heater.

4. A water heater comprising in combination a, gas burner consisting of a series of spiral tubes of successively increasing periphery and co-axially arranged in a h0rizontal plane to form a broken spiral, each tube being one convolution in length and provided along its crown with a line of openings, a central chamber arranged c0- axially with the spiral tubes, a gas supply conduit communicating with the interior of the chamber, a plurality of radially disposed tubular arms connecting the central chamber and the spiral tubes, a water coil consisting of a plurality of coiled pipe-units superposed one above the 'other, the lowermost pipe-unit being located above the gas burner and consisting of a single pipe spirally coiled and arranged to make two circuits in succession above each of the said spiral tubes thereby causing the water to circulate twice over each spiral tube and continuously in one direction from one end of the pipe to the other, and means adapted to direct the course of heated gases flowing from the burner through the heater, said I means consisting of shrouding members suptubular arms connecting the central charnber and the spiral tubes, and a water coil consisting of a plurality of coiled pipe-units superposed one above the other, the lowermost pipe-unit being located above the gas burner and consisting of a single pipe spirally coiled and so arranged that it follows the line of openings along the crown of one spiral tube first on one side of the line of openings and then forthwith on the otherside thereof before it proceeds to follow the next adjacent spiral tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER MARTIN TAYLOR. 

